Clutch.



PATENTED APR. 10, 1906 L. W. G. PLYNT.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7.1905.

lama-6 m a 1 rrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. FLYNT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIHNOR T0 QUENTIN W. BOOTH AND IRVING E. BOOTH, OF ROUHESTERQNEW YORK.

CLUTCH.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed June7, 1905. Serial No. 264,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis W. G. FLYNT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

7 This invention relates to clutches, and has for its object the provision of a device of this character which will be simple in construction, ositive in action, and durable.

Alt ough susceptible of application to various types of machinery, the clutchis particularly adapted to comparatively low -speed mechanisms-such, for instance, as in imitation-stitchindenting machines.

Broadly, the invention comprehends in combination a rotary driving member, a driven member, said members having rccessed portions, a movable coupling device interposed between said members, and an operating device for shifting said coupling device into engagement with alined recesses in the driving and driven members, whereby said members are positively connected, said coupling device bein rounded in the direction of rotation of t e driving member, so.

that when the operating device is released or reversely actuated the tendency of the rotary driving member is to throw the coupling device away from engagement with its recess owing to the contact of the wall of said recess with the curved surface of said coupling to prom tly effect the uncoupling of the driving and riven members.

The invention further embraces in combination a drivin member, a driven member, said members aving recessed portions, a

movable coupling-ball interposed between said members, and an operating device for shifting said ball into engagement with alined recesses in the drivin and driven members, whereby said mem ers are positively connected. a

In the accompanying drawings a convenient embodiment of the invention possessing the novel characteristics above noted is illustrated, and upon an inspection of the same,

ings, wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views, A designates a driving-pulley, which is normally loose on the driven shaft B and isprovided with two bearing-bushes C, preferably of brass or bronze metal, and a hardenedsteel bush D, the latter being interposed be tween the bushes C. These bushes C fit the shaft B, while the bush 1) is bored considerably larger. The rear end of the shaft is drilled longitudinally, as at E, to receive a clutch-rod F, and is also drilled laterally, as at G, to receive a steel ball H. Within the same vertical plane with this ball are one or more holes or recesses 1, formed in the steel bush D, a series of these recesses being shown in the resent instance, Fig. 3, disposed at suitab e distances apart around said steel bush. The holes or recesses just defined are somewhat smaller than the diame- .ter of the ball for a special purpose, as will presently appear. The inner end f of the clutch-rod l is substantially conical in shape, and the steel ball H rests on its periphery. This conical end of the clutch-rod is of such dimensions that when the ball rests thereon at its smallest diameter the latter does not come in contact with the bush D, but when the rod is pulled out throu h the medium of a hand knob or lever J the all riding up the inclined surface of the conical end thereof will be forced through the hole G in the shaft B and a ainst the inner face of the bush D until it ds one of the holes in said bush, when it is forced partly thereinto and is held between the bush and the shaft, resulting in the effectual and positive gripping of the pul- I00 tate together, the steel bushing ley about the shaft, whereby the must robeing secured in the pulley.

Owing to the relative formation and proportions of the ball H and the apertures I in the steel bushing D, it will be noted, Fig. 3, that the extent of protrusion of the ball into any one of said recesses is to an extent less than half' of the diameter of the ball, whereby the ball is absolutely prevented from becoming frictionally clamped in said recess owing to the fact that at all times it presents an inwardlyflaring rounded surface to the wall or walls of the recess, thereb utilizing the constant tendency of the pulfey during its rotation to force the ball out of engagement with its recess. By this arrangement a prompt uncoupling of the parts is assured, for as the clutch-rod F is thrown inwardly the advantage of this inherent characteristic tendency of the pulley to force the ball out of coupling relation therewith is supplemented by the force of gravity, which will of course cause the ball to drop onto that portion of smallest diameter of the conical end of said clutch-rod.

The hand knob or lever J is mounted loosely upon the shouldered outer end f of the clutchrod F, being held in position thereon by a screw K.

Lisa collar secured to the shaft B by a setscrew M, and serves to retain the pulley against outward movement on the shaft. Any suitable abutment N properly a part of the machine prevents movement of the pu'lley in an opposite direction;

A clutch made in keepingwiththe description thus far given is oneof marked efficiency I but in practice it has been found that even better results are secured when the inner end of the conical portionf of the clutch-rod F merges into a straight peripheral portion f The value of this additional feature will be obvious from Fi 2,"the function of such straight portion eing to slide beneath and support the ball in its coupling position, thereby overcoming any tendency of the clutchrod to. loosen which may be present-Where the incllned surface of the conical portion-sup- 7 ports the ball While in its coupling position. 5

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in still other forms with said members, and an operating device for shifting said coupling-ball into engagement with the walls of alined openings in the driving and driven members whereby said members are positively connected.

2. In combination, a driving member having a steel bush provided with a hole, a driven member having a hole adapted to register with the hole in the steel bush, a movable coupling-ball operatively associated with said member, and an operating device for shifting said coupling-ball into engagement with the walls of alined openings in the driving and driven members whereby said members are positively connected.

3. In combination, a driving member, a driven member, said members having recessed portions, a movable coupling-ball operatively associated withsaid members, and an operating device for shifting the said coupling-ball into engagement with alined recessed portions in the driving and driven members, the wall of the recess in the driving member which is engaged by the ball when couplin being abrupt to afford an abutment for the all,

4. In combination, a driving member, a driven member; said members having recessed portions, a movable coupling-ball operatively associated with said members, and an operating device for shifting the said coupling-ball into engagement with alined recessed portions in the driving and driven members, the recess in the driving member being substantially circular and of a diameter less than that of the ball.

5. The combination of a shaft having a ball-hole therein, a ball fitting loosely in said hole, the hole bein sodeep that the ball need not extend beyon the periphery of the shaft,

a key longitudinally movable in said shaft behind said ball to force the same outward,

.and a driving member mounted on the shaft,

said member being provided with a substantially circular internal 0 ening arranged to register withthe ballho e in the shaft, and said opening being of less diameter than the diameter of the ball..

6. The combination of a shaft having 'a ball-hole therein, a ball fitting loosely in said hole, the hole being so deep that the ball need not extend beyond the periphery of the shaft, a key longitudinally movable in said shaft behind said ball to force the same outward, and a driving member mounted on the shaft, said bar being provided with an internalo ening arranged to register with the ball-ho e in the shaft and the surrounding wall of said ball-hole with which the ball engages when coupling being abrupt to afford an abutment for said ball.

7. In combination, a driving member, a driven member, the driving member having a plurality of internal recesses, and the driven member having arecess adapted to be brought into registration with any one of the recesses I in the driving member, a movable coupling- I in testimony whereof I affix my signature ball 111 the recess of the driven member, and m n esence of two witnesses.

an operating device for shifting said coupling 1- V ball into engagementwith alinedrecessedpon LOUIS 1 LYN tions in the driving and driven members Witnesses:

whereby said members are positively c011- QUENTIN W. BOOTH, nected. ROY C. WEBSTER. 

